Wedding rings or wedding bands have customarily been worn by both men and women throughout history. The ring is normally worn on the base of the left or right “ring” finger. One possible reason the “ring” or fourth finger on the left hand is the chosen location for wearing a ring is that the likelihood of injury is minimized. Humans are predominately right handed and wearing a wedding ring on the left hand on the fourth finger likely results in a decreased amount of injuries and less wear and tear on the ring itself. Typically, wedding rings are made of precious metals such as gold, silver, palladium, and platinum. Other examples include those rings made out of titanium, tungsten, ceramic, etc. Certain occupations and active lifestyles are not conducive to the wearing of a wedding band. Serious injury can result to the finger and hand if a conventional wedding ring gets caught on an object. Many individuals remove their rings for safekeeping, only to find that after completing work or other activity the ring has been misplaced, lost, or even stolen. The current disclosure describes a silicone ring and the process of making the silicone ring as a viable replacement to conventional wedding bands.
To alleviate the hazards and risks associated with the wearing of a conventional wedding band, a ring manufactured by silicone compression-molding virtually eliminates all potential risks of injury to the hand and finger. The silicone ring also provides a cost effective alternative to those who desire to wear a wedding ring continuously and a ring that will not interfere with an active lifestyle. Silicone rubber is widely known to be resistant to extreme temperatures, is resistant to abrasions, is resistant to chemicals, is resistant to weather, is hypoallergenic, is comfortable to wear, and is less harmful to the environment than many organic rubbers.
Conventional methods of compression molding can produce various flaws in the component characteristics such as color loss and discoloration, surface texture blisters and waviness, and optical distortion. Conventional compression molding methods are incapable of producing a thin-line ring of the current disclosure. The particular method of manufacturing developed in the current disclosure eliminates many of the common problems found in conventional methods of making compression-molded products. The compression molding process described herein achieves a symmetrical inner-band that runs through the entire circumference of the ring. The disclosed compression molding methods include critical steps, specific temperatures, pressures, compression times, material requirements, etc. to achieve a symmetrical inner-band. Without the disclosed process, the edges of the two outer-band halves and the edges of the inner band that could not be controlled or defined by other known methods.